WELL, that was totally-predictable: the howls of complaint from the Celtic apologists in the media, even though their heroes managed to beat Hearts and remain top of the Scottish Premiership. However, the introduction of VAR cost Celtic a couple of decisions – so, with the world badge-kissing champions, Sutton and Hartson to the fore, the squeals of complaint started.
It's going to be a noisy season – just wait until the first time VAR comes back to bite the other cheek of Scotland's sectarian erse. You know, VAR just might be the beginning of the end (or maybe the end of the beginning) of Scottish football being run to suit these two clubs.
Mind you, I had to laugh at the explanation of the Scottish VAR system. Apparently, the referee, when summoned to the VAR monitor, is faced with two buttons.
He pushes the green button and up pops the message: “Penalty to Rangers.”
If he pushes the red button, he gets a message: “Now push the green button.”
Still on media focus on the Bigot Brothers, have you noticed all the comments about Steve Gerrard getting his jotters from Aston Villa? A large section of the Rangers family will never forgive him for abandoning ship and taking the Villa job. Others, mindful of how he won them that longed-for 55th title, will perhaps want him back, given the turbulent waters in which the club is currently wallowing.
For my part – he came up here in an effort to gain some management experience, win something and enhance his already high profile in England. He then went to just about the last English club any ambitious manager should join, and has failed.
He perhaps needs to get a job in the Championship, win promotion and keep that new side up. Then, maybe, he still has a chance of the job he really wants – at Anfield as perhaps the next but one Liverpool manager after Jurgen Klopp.
For my part, I put Rangers' current troubles down to one thing – sheer stupidity. For the past 36 years, since Lawrence Marlborough recruited Graeme Souness as player-manager, Rangers have been a buying club.
To be honest, they may have bought the occasional diamond: Gascoigne, Laudrup etc., but, they have also bought an awful lot of duds. The need to buy-in talent now appears to be hard-wired into the club's DNA and I fear, until they find a cure for this, Rangers will struggle, regardless of who is manager.
AWAY FROM the I can piss more money away on useless players than you competition at the top of the Premiership – has anyone noticed just how competitive the Scottish leagues are this season.
In the top flight, with the exception of the Bigot Brothers and a Ross County side who apparently cannot buy a win, every side can, on any given day, beat any other side.
It's even more frenetic in the Championship, with five clubs battling for top spot, and equally-close fights further down. Indeed, I would say Raith Rovers are emerging as the “par” team in the division, and anything to do with Pars will not go down well in Kirkcaldy. But, here I mean, if you can beat Raith, you're in the promotion battle, if you cannot, you're in relegation trouble.
THE TELEVISION cameras were at Townhead Park, Cumnock, on Friday night, then they were at Newlandsfield Park, Glasgow last night, to cover Pollok v Annan Athletic.
Good exposure for the wee clubs, but, I think they missed a trick. If they are going to televise a match involving non-league clubs, I would suggest the place to be will be Beechwood Park, Auchinleck, this Saturday.
That's when the Scottish Junior Cup holders, Auchinleck Talbot, will face Darvel Juniors, the West of Scotland League Champions, in a third round clash.
Now, Talbot don't lose too-many home games; they tend to lose just as few Junior Cup ties. However, Darvel has seemingly had a hex over the 'Bot over the past year or so. Tucker Sloan's men are also, by their own high standards, playing pish at the moment. However, they remain the biggest challenge Darvel face.
This one just might see Talbot lose, and throw open the chances of some other name going on the magnificent Junior Cup, come June. This game should be a cracker, worthy of television.
The trouble with football coverage in Scotland today is, the major national newspapers are all – from a Scottish perspective – Glasgow-based. Given thus, they take the easy option and concentrate on The Old Firm. There are football writers in Scotland who are lost if they are not covering either one of the Bigot Brothers, or Scotland.
OK, in Aberdeen, the P&J and its associate evening paper's football writers have to concentrate on events around Pittodrie, but, they also have Cove Rangers, in the north of their area Ross County, Inverness CT, plus other 'senior' football teams such as Peterhead and Elgin City, plus the vibrant Highland League and North Juniors scene.
It's the same on Tayside, where the main football writers trudge up and down Tannadice Street between The 'Dee and The Arabs. However, both the Courier and the 'Telly' (Dundee Evening Telegraph) also cover St Johnstone, the Angus clubs such as Forfar Athletic and Montrose, plus the Fife clubs. Here too there is a flourishing junior scene.
In the capital, The Hootsmon and the Evening News cover Hearts and Hibs well, but, they also look after Livingston and the Fife clubs along the Forth shore, plus the Lowland and East League teams.
So, unless you're in Glasgow, if you support any club other than what Andy Cameron called 'The Dibs and The Dobs' – you are pretty-well looked after. But, the big money follows the Big Two, so there is the assumption of lack of interest elsewhere.
I think, if the big bosses in Glasgow decided to broaden their coverage from the usual suspects, it would benefit Scottish football greatly.
No comments:
Post a Comment